Mumbai weather updates: Possibility of heavy to very heavy rainfall in the city, says BMC weather forecast

Image used for representational purpose. Pic/stck.me/picto

The city of Mumbai is likely to witness heavy to very heavy rainfall accompanied by occasional gusty winds with speeds reaching 50-60 kmph today, BMC's weather forecast said.

Additionally, the city is expected to witness high tides today, with the first high tide expected at 1355 hours, measuring at 4.25 meters. Such high tide levels can exacerbate flooding in coastal areas and make them susceptible to seawater ingress.

Furthermore, the day's low tide is expected at 1954 hours, measuring at 1.67 meters. This low tide provides a brief respite from the high water levels but can still pose risks to areas prone to flooding due to continuous rainfall.

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Looking ahead, the high tide alert continues into the next day, 21st July 2023, with the tide expected at 0138 hours and measuring at 3.71 meters. The subsequent low tide on the same day is projected at 0716 hours, measuring at 1.03 meters.

In the last 24 hours, Mumbai and its neighboring areas witnessed significant rainfall, causing waterlogging and disruptions across the city. The India Meteorological Department (IMD), Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), and Vagaries of Weather provided data on the area-wise rainfall recorded until 8.30 am on July 20.

Notably, Badlapur in the MMR region experienced exceptionally heavy rainfall, registering a staggering 408 mm of rainfall. Close behind, Matheran recorded a substantial rainfall of 398 mm during the same period.

In Mumbai, several areas reported substantial rainfalls. Borivali recorded 208 mm of rainfall, while Kandivali received 175 mm, and Malvani recorded 140 mm. Other areas experienced moderate to heavy rainfalls, with Ram Mandir reporting 104 mm, Bandra receiving 111 mm, and Dadar (w) recording 120 mm of rainfall. Matunga experienced 110 mm of rainfall, Mulund received 124 mm, and Powai recorded 100 mm. Vikhroli witnessed 109 mm of rainfall, Deonar received 157 mm, and Byculla recorded 122 mm of rainfall.

In the extended Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), Kalyan reported 200 mm of rainfall, Thane (Naupada) received 218 mm, and Mumbra recorded 166 mm of rainfall. Other areas in MMR experienced moderate rainfall, with Dombivali recording 182 mm, Airoli receiving 137 mm, Khoparkhairne witnessing 124 mm, Vashi recording 106 mm, Belapur receiving 113 mm, and Bhayander witnessing 194 mm of rainfall.

In view of heavy rains in Maharashtra, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has deployed a total of 12 teams across the state, the NDRF said on Wednesday. The NDRF said, five teams have been deployed in Mumbai, one team each in Palghar, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Kolhapur, Sangli, Nagpur, and Thane districts of the state. Meanwhile, the meteorological department in Mumbai has issued an "orange" alert for the city, indicating the likelihood of severe to extremely heavy rainfall in certain areas throughout the day, as on Wednesday. Earlier on Tuesday, Mumbai and its suburbs received moderate to heavy rainfall during the day.

As per the IMD (India Meteorological Department) classification, an orange alert is for a rainfall range between 115.6 mm to 204.4 mm in a day, while a red alert is issued when rainfall above 204.5 mm is expected for a 24-hour duration.

Several incidents have been reported in the city amid the rainfall during this monsoon. A four-month-old infant slipped out of the hands of a woman walking on railway tracks and fell into a nullah between Thakurli and Kalyan stations near Mumbai on Wednesday as heavy rains disrupted local train services. A video shows a local train halted on a small bridge and a woman, accompanied by a man, crying for help while pointing out at a swollen drain flowing below. Commuters on the train can be heard saying that the woman's baby has fallen into the nullah and swept away. A Fire Brigade official said they have received a distress call about a child falling into the nullah along the railway track in Thane district and are launching an operation to trace the baby.